Intercepted kicks off Alethea Romig’s new series, The Coopers, with a second-chance romance wrapped in heavy football drama—and a gut-wrenching cliffhanger that will leave readers desperate for book two.
Title: Intercepted
Author(s): Aleatha Romig
Series: The Coopers #1
Published by Romig Works on February 2, 2026
Pages: 314
Genre(s): Contemporary Sports Romance
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Purchase: Amazon|Audible
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In The Coopers, family power meets forbidden passion, and one wrong move can cost you the team… or your heart. Perfect for fans of the ruthless tension of Succession and the dark, aching obsession of Wuthering Heights.At thirty-six, Fin Graham is a legend, a veteran quarterback, dangerously handsome, and built to win. The field. The season. Me.I never thought I’d see him again, not after he disappeared and shattered me without a word. But now he’s been traded onto my family’s team, the Lexington Coopers—my turf, my legacy, and the one place I swore he’d never touch.No one knows our past.No one knows how hard I loved him… or how deep the betrayal cut.And if I have any sway with the team’s owner—my father—Fin’s contract will be the shortest in franchise history.But the problem with old heartbreaks?They remember how to start beating again.Fin wants a second chance.I want revenge… or maybe I just want him.And the time clock is almost out.With the future of the Lexington Coopers on the line, we have to decide if we’re working together or against one another.
From the bestselling author of Infidelity and Sin comes a scorching, high-stakes romantic suspense series set in the seductive, cutthroat world of the NFL. The Coopers is a four-book saga following one explosive couple. INTERCEPTED ends on a cliffhanger—an unforgettable Aleatha blindside.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The story follows Maeve Cooper and Finn Graham. Maeve’s family owns the Lexington Cooper’s, a top-tier NFL team. Her father expects her to take over full management once he retires. First, she must learn how the organization operates. That plan becomes complicated when she discovers her former lover has joined the team. He is the only man she ever truly loved, the same one who broke her heart fourteen years ago, and the team has just signed him as their backup quarterback.
Finn, now thirty-six, knows he has only a few good years left in the sport he loves. He’s content being the backup, especially since joining the Lexington Coopers serves a second purpose: winning back Maeve. He left her years ago, and now he is determined to make things right and not repeat that mistake.
The chemistry between Maeve and Finn is undeniable. Romig gives readers glimpses into their past—how they met and what tore them apart. Secrets and misunderstandings undoubtedly played a role. Finn has a steep hill to climb to earn Maeve’s trust again, and she doesn’t make it easy. But as the saying goes, anything worth having rarely comes easy.
Their romance, however, isn’t the only driving force in the narrative. Family politics, inheritance battles, and questions of leadership run throughout the book. Maeve faces pushback from those who doubt her ability to run the team, forcing her to constantly prove herself.
As a non-American reader unfamiliar with American football, I found that many of the sport-specific scenes and jargon eluded me. The novel leans heavily into football strategy, training, and team operations—often at the expense of page time for the romance. That imbalance left me with several questions and occasionally pulled me out of the emotional arc. Still, other elements of the story kept me engaged.
And just when things finally seem to settle, Romig delivers a cliffhanger that hits hard and ensures I’ll be picking up the next installment.
Overall, Intercepted delivers an engaging blend of second-chance tension, family drama, and high-stakes football, even if the heavy sports focus occasionally overshadows the romance. Despite that imbalance, Romig’s compelling characters and the explosive cliffhanger make the book a strong start to the series.
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About Aleatha Romig
Aleatha Romig is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana, USA. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis. Aleatha has raised three children with her high school sweetheart and husband of over thirty years. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she’s not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns, she likes to spend her time a with her family and friends. Her other pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams and bring your imagination to life! Aleatha released her first novel, CONSEQUENCES, in August of 2011. CONSEQUENCES became a bestselling series with five novels and two companions released from 2011 through 2015. The compelling and epic story of Anthony and Claire Rawlings has graced more than half a million e-readers. Aleatha released the first of her series TALES FROM THE DARK SIDE, INSIDIOUS, in the fall of 2014. These stand alone thrillers continue Aleatha’s twisted style with an increase in heat. In the fall of 2015, Aleatha moved head first into the world of dark romantic suspense with the release of BETRAYAL, the first of her five novel INFIDELITY series that has taken the reading world by storm. She also began her traditional publishing career with Thomas and Mercer. Her books INTO THE LIGHT and AWAY FROM THE DARK were published through this mystery/thriller publisher in 2016. In the spring of 2017, Aleatha released her first stand-alone, fun, and sexy romantic comedy with PLUS ONE, followed by the sweet stand-alone, ONE NIGHT. Aleatha is a “Published Author’s Network” member of the Romance Writers of America and PEN America. She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
